Petunia hybrida/Petunia Plant
cv. xe2x80x98Sunbelkuopixe2x80x99
The Petunia is a very popular plant that is used for flower bedding and potting in the summer season. There are only a few varieties of the Petunia plants which do not have an upright growth habit and which have a high resistance to rain, heat, cold, and diseases. The Petunias of the Revolution series include xe2x80x98Revolution Purplepinkxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,915), xe2x80x98Revolution Brilliantpinkxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,914), xe2x80x98Revolution Brilliantpink-minixe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,899), and xe2x80x98Revolution Blueveinxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,322). These are decumbent type plants having long stems, a low plant height, abundant branching, and a high resistance to heat, cold, and rain. However, there are only a few Petunia varieties having a great profusion of flowers, small vivid purplish-red colored flowers, and a high resistance to rain, heat, cold, and diseases. Accordingly, this invention was aimed at obtaining a new Petunia variety having small vivid purplish-red colored flowers, together with the above features.
The new variety of Petunia plant according to this invention originated from a controlled crossing involving as female parent xe2x80x98CDS02xe2x80x99 (non-patented in the United States), xe2x80x98CDS02xe2x80x99 was the product of the cross of Petunia sellowiana Sendtu named xe2x80x98CD1xe2x80x99 (non-patented in the United States) and a wild type of Petunia plant native to Brazil named xe2x80x98A1xe2x80x99 (non-patented in the United States). The male parent was xe2x80x98CDS01xe2x80x99 (non-patented in the United States). xe2x80x98CDS01xe2x80x99 was the product of a cross of Petunia sellowiana Sendtu named xe2x80x98CD2xe2x80x99 (non-patented in the United States) and a wild type of Petunia plant native to Brazil named xe2x80x98A2xe2x80x99 (non-patented in the United States). In May, 1993, the series of controlled crosses was conducted with Petunia sellowiana Sendtu named xe2x80x98CD1xe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98CD2xe2x80x99, and a wild type of Petunia plant native to Brazil named xe2x80x98A1xe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98A2xe2x80x99. From that crossing, 240 seedlings were obtained and 4 seedlings which included xe2x80x98CDS01xe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98CDS02xe2x80x99 were selected by March 1994. Subsequently, 500 seedlings were obtained from a crossing of these 4 seedlings. Ten seedlings were selected by March 1995. These 10 seedlings were propagated by the use cuttings and were grown in a trial in flower beds and in containers by October 1996. Finally, a single seedling was selected and the botanical characteristics of the plant were evaluated. As a result, it was concluded that this new variety is distinguishable from other varieties, and this variety of Petunia plant was named xe2x80x98Sunbelkuopixe2x80x99.
This new variety of Petunia plant named xe2x80x98Sunbelkuopixe2x80x99 was asexually reproduced by the use of cuttings at Oomori-cho, Yokaichi-shi, Shiga-ken, Japan, and the homogeneity and stability thereof were confirmed. It commonly takes approximately two weeks to initiate the rooting of cuttings of the new variety of the present invention.
In the following description, the color identification is in accordance with The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England.
Described herein is a decumbent type Petunia plant named xe2x80x98Sunbelkuopixe2x80x99 having very small vivid purplish-pink flowers. The plant has abundant branching, a great profusion of blooms, and the entire plant remains in bloom for a considerable period of time. The plant is highly resistant to rain, heat, cold and disease. This new variety of Petunia plant is suitable for growing in pots, hanging baskets, and flower beds.
The plants described and depicted herein had been propagated by the use of cuttings and were approximately 28 weeks of age. Such plants were grown under controlled greenhouse conditions under full sunshine with no shielding from light. The minimum temperature at night was maintained above 13xc2x0 C. The plants were fertilized on a weekly basis.